Budget cuts are a far cry from what House Republicans demanded. | Reuters/AP Photos
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About $400 million of what had been a larger $1 billion cut from community health centers is restored. Head Start funding will go up, not down, with the preschool program getting $7.6 billion or about $300 million more than today.

Pell Grants for low-income college students are protected against a shortfall. Title X family planning programs will survive, albeit at 2008 levels. New money to administer health care reform will flow to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, but through a round-about route that requires the dollars to go first to a different health administration account and then be transferred to CMS.

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In the field of transportation and housing, the same pattern is repeated, though in less dramatic fashion.

When the new Congress began in January, the government was spending at a rate of about $66.3 billion for programs in this sector. The House cut that by about $14 billion, a 21 percent reduction. But about $6.2 billion of those appropriations would be effectively restored in the new bill, through a combination of decisions, including $3.2 billion in savings from mandatory spending.

None of this changes the GOP’s dislike for Obama’s high-speed rail initiative. With its true champion, Rahm Emanuel, gone from the White House, the bill blocks any new funding and rescinds $400 million from the past. But close to $2 billion would be restored for community development block grants. And in what appears a change of heart, the bill allocates $528 million in new money for the Transportation Department’s TIGER grants, designed to spur local economies.

In the case of foreign aid — a major target for the GOP -- the final bill more often freezes spending near 2010 levels — walking a middle path between the increases Obama wanted while avoiding the deep cuts envisioned by the House.

The administration’s newer climate change and food aid initiatives suffer the most in this framework. An estimated $8.4 billion is allowed for economic and development assistance, $375 million less than 2010 but $1 billion more than the House. And under the budget agreement, some relief is allowed by shifting $800 million for the Pakistan Counter-Insurgency Fund off budget and into an emergency overseas contingency account to cover war related costs.

Among major agencies, the IRS would be frozen at about $12.15 billion — its 2010 funding level. But the Food and Drug Administration emerges with $2.45 billion, reflecting some increase. And the $7.8 billion allocated for FBI salaries and expenses represents a $176 million increase over 2010, albeit less than Obama’s request.

If pushed back to Thursday, the bill could complicate House debate on the next big issue before the spring recess: the 2012 budget resolution.

Less binding but still potent, the 68-page resolution calls for tens of billions more in appropriations cuts next year, largely targeted at domestic programs and foreign aid.

CUT THE MILITARY SPENDING!! How much military spending do you need to fight against an enemy that no one can clearly define. What we spend on defense is mind boggling considering who or what we are fighting against. I would like to see there military budget compared to ours.

Ah yes. Reduce spending by 40 billion for a 1.65 trillion dollar budget. Good to see politicians battle so furiously over crumbs. Hopefully they will address real spending in the next budget. Cut corporate tax loopholes and lower the corporate tax rate from %35 to %20 at the same time to make it palatable. Raise SS taxable income to 115,000 from 108,600 and it will be solvent for 20 more years. Fight Medicare fraud and why not tackle malpractice as well. Save as many billions from that as possible. Get rid of subsidies for Big Ag, Big oil, ethanol etc. They are well established and don't need em. Put a surtax on millionaires. They can afford it. Be bi-partisan and not ideological and America will actually be able to make a balanced budget.

wrong. the budget is all about cuts. we have a spending problem. congress is either out of control or just too stupid to understand. if the gov were a business, it would have been forced out of business long agao and the members of congress sharing a cell with bernie madoff.

This cuts are microscopic, and will have no beneficial effect. Tens of billions cut, while deficit spending amounts to trillions. Stop playing the fool, by believing the corrupt media disinformation. Notice that the establishment refuses to even discuss the extent of the unfunded spending.

The top one percent are becoming wealthier even as the working and middle class become poorer. The tea party means well but, unfortunately for America, are bent on hurting Americans to "fix" the problem rather than simply fixing the problem.

Well done Mr. Boehnor, Mr. Reid, and President Obama. You are slowly starting to restore my faith in government.

I couldn't be happier with this deal. I'm glad we got $80 billion in cuts over Obama's budget, govt. funding of abortions in DC is banned, and the school voucher program is restored. I'm glad that pointless riders like cutting funding for PBS and cutting funding for mammograms, PAP smears and contraceptives which would have actually increased spending and abortions in the long term by leading to more unwanted pregnancies (that's what happens when you stop providing condoms), didn't make it into the budget.

Now, the American people want to see the same spirit of compromise with the 2012 budget. We don't want an ultra partisan budget like Paul Ryan's. We want a budget that cuts spending by...

a.) saving costs in social security, medicare and medicaid

b.) does away with the bush tax cuts, and corporate tax loop holes

c.) ends ethanol subsidies

d.) reduces defense spending

and is overall similar to the compromise budget that the Bipartisan Defecit Reduction Panel worked on, that attacks sacred cows from both parties and cuts tens of trillions of dollars from the budget over a few decades.

Both parties have to cut from some programs they care about if we are actually going to cut spending and end up with a plan that actually has a chance of passing. The Democrats have to take cuts in medicaid, medicare, social security, ethanol subsidies and such. Republicans have to take some tax increases, and cuts to defense. That's the only way a deal can work.

Here's a cut where everyone wins. The Department of Education was formed by Jimma Carter. Since then, the quality of education in the U.S. has declined in direct proportion to the increase in , wealth and influence of the D of E., and sucks $77 billion (with a B) out of our economy each year.

Since the D of E is a certified failure, shut it down tomorrow a.m., change the locks, sell the equipment and give the employees a year of unenployment. With the projected growth of all federal bureaucracies, this will save us a trillion dollars over the next .decade. But more important, it will help save our children and our country in the future

No sacred cows. To balance the budget, we have to reform entitlements, raise taxes, cut defense spending, do away with farm subsidies and corporate tax loop holes and basically everything must be on the table.

This was a decent first step in that neither side got everything they wanted.

Well done Mr. Boehnor, Mr. Reid, and President Obama. You are slowly starting to restore my faith in government.

I couldn't be happier with this deal. I'm glad we got $80 billion in cuts over Obama's budget, govt. funding of abortions in DC is banned, and the school voucher program is restored. I'm glad that pointless riders like cutting funding for PBS and cutting funding for mammograms, PAP smears and contraceptives which would have actually increased spending and abortions in the long term by leading to more unwanted pregnancies (that's what happens when you stop providing condoms), didn't make it into the budget.

Now, the American people want to see the same spirit of compromise with the 2012 budget. We don't want an ultra partisan budget like Paul Ryan's. We want a budget that cuts spending by...

a.) saving costs in social security, medicare and medicaid

b.) does away with the bush tax cuts, and corporate tax loop holes

c.) ends ethanol subsidies

d.) reduces defense spending

and is overall similar to the compromise budget that the Bipartisan Defecit Reduction Panel worked on, that attacks sacred cows from both parties and cuts tens of trillions of dollars from the budget over a few decades.

Both parties have to cut from some programs they care about if we are actually going to cut spending and end up with a plan that actually has a chance of passing. The Democrats have to take cuts in medicaid, medicare, social security, ethanol subsidies and such. Republicans have to take some tax increases, and cuts to defense. That's the only way a deal can work.

No sacred cows. To balance the budget, we have to reform entitlements, raise taxes, cut defense spending, do away with farm subsidies and corporate tax loop holes and basically everything must be on the table.

This was a decent first step in that neither side got everything they wanted.

Well done Mr. Boehnor, Mr. Reid, and President Obama. You are slowly starting to restore my faith in government.

I couldn't be happier with this deal. I'm glad we got $80 billion in cuts over Obama's budget, govt. funding of abortions in DC is banned, and the school voucher program is restored. I'm glad that pointless riders like cutting funding for PBS and cutting funding for mammograms, PAP smears and contraceptives which would have actually increased spending and abortions in the long term by leading to more unwanted pregnancies (that's what happens when you stop providing condoms), didn't make it into the budget.

Now, the American people want to see the same spirit of compromise with the 2012 budget. We don't want an ultra partisan budget like Paul Ryan's. We want a budget that cuts spending by...

a.) saving costs in social security, medicare and medicaid

b.) does away with the bush tax cuts, and corporate tax loop holes

c.) ends ethanol subsidies

d.) reduces defense spending

and is overall similar to the compromise budget that the Bipartisan Defecit Reduction Panel worked on, that attacks sacred cows from both parties and cuts tens of trillions of dollars from the budget over a few decades.

Both parties have to cut from some programs they care about if we are actually going to cut spending and end up with a plan that actually has a chance of passing. The Democrats have to take cuts in medicaid, medicare, social security, ethanol subsidies and such. Republicans have to take some tax increases, and cuts to defense. That's the only way a deal can work.

This deal is all about perpetuating existing power structures. ---- The net result is that the wealthy will continue consolidating power, the middle class will continue to devolve into wage slavery, and the poor will be further marginalized and deprived of the necessities of life. --------- Tax cuts to the wealthy, benefit cuts to the poor…….the conservative way.